A scroll compressor is a certain type of compressor that is used to compress refrigerant for such applications as refrigeration, air conditioning, industrial cooling and freezer applications, and/or other applications where compressed fluid may be used. Such prior scroll compressors are known, for example, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,530 to Hasemann; U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,551, to Kammhoff et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,960,070 to Kammhoff et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,046 to Kammhoff et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,997,877, to Beagle et al., all of which are assigned to a Bitzer entity closely related to the present assignee. As the present disclosure pertains to improvements that can be implemented in these or other scroll compressor designs, the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,398,530, 7,112,046, 6,814,551, and 6,960,070 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
A scroll compressor having a suction duct is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,133,043 and 8,167,595, both issued to Duppert; and U.S. Patent Pub. Nos. 2013/0248022 to Roof; 2013/0251562 to Roof et al.; and 2013/0251544 to Duppert et al., each of whose teachings and disclosures are incorporated by reference in their entireties. Additionally, particular embodiments of scroll compressors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,211 to Wallis et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,292 to Wallis et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,084 to Wallis et al., the teachings and disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
As is exemplified by these patents, scroll compressors conventionally include an outer housing having a scroll compressor contained therein. A scroll compressor includes first and second scroll compressor members. A first compressor member is typically arranged stationary and fixed in the outer housing. A second scroll compressor member is moveable relative to the first scroll compressor member in order to compress refrigerant between respective scroll ribs which rise above the respective bases and engage in one another. Conventionally the moveable scroll compressor member is driven about an orbital path about a central axis for the purposes of compressing refrigerant. An appropriate drive unit, typically an electric motor, is provided usually within the same housing to drive the movable scroll member.
The present invention pertains to improvements in the state of the art. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.